Dirtbags hoping for a return to road magic

May 27, 2014

Updated 3:29 p.m.

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Dirtbags pitcher Nick Sabo fields a bunt while facing UC Irvine in the final game of the regular season on Friday. Long Beach opens the Florida Regional with North Carolina (34-25) on Friday at 10 a.m. BILL ALKOFER, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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Dirtbag Garrett Hampson threw to first for an out against UC Irvine in the final game of the regular season. , BILL ALKOFER, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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Long Beach State baseball players erupt in the Pyramid's Ukleja Room as their NCAA championship regional destination is announced. Like the early Dirtbags, the 2014 team will open the NCAAs far from home – at McKethan Stadium at the University of Florida. Long Beach will open the Florida Regional with North Carolina (34-25) at 10 a.m. Friday.<252,1> COURTESY OF LONG BEACH STATE

Dirtbags pitcher Nick Sabo fields a bunt while facing UC Irvine in the final game of the regular season on Friday. Long Beach opens the Florida Regional with North Carolina (34-25) on Friday at 10 a.m. BILL ALKOFER, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Dirtbags in the postseason

Gainesville Regional at McKethan Stadium, University of Florida

Friday

Game 1, 10 a.m. – North Carolina (34-25) vs. Dirtbags (32-24).

Game 2, 4 p.m. – College of Charleston (41-17) vs. Florida (40-21).

Saturday

Game 3 – Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser

Game 4 – Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner

Sunday

Game 5 – Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser

Game 6 - Game 5 winner vs. Game 4 winner

Monday

Game 7 – Game 5 winner vs. Game 4 winner, if necessary

It’s appropriate that the 2014 Long Beach State baseball team, which recalled the best days of the Dirtbag era, will open the NCAA tournament the way the originals did decades ago.

Long Beach State was seeded second in the Florida Regional in Gainesville and will open with North Carolina (34-25) Friday at 10 a.m. The Dirtbags are joined in the regional by host Florida (40-21), the No. 2 overall seed in the tournament, and College of Charleston (41-17).

The Dirtbags rose to prominence in college baseball as road warriors. They have played and won regionals hosted by Arizona (1989), Texas (1991) and Florida State (1993) and won two tournament games in regionals hosted by Texas (1992), Wichita State (1994), LSU (1997) and Texas A&M (1999).

Long Beach State’s last seven regional assignments were either as a host or a visitor to Stanford. As proud as Long Beach State was to be a host school, former coaches Dave Snow and Mike Weathers came to agree that there was benefit to being sent across the country.

The seeding is a result of only two West Coast schools hosting regionals: Oregon State and Cal Poly. There are five other schools from the West playing out of the region as a result – at Oklahoma State, Vanderbilt, Indiana, Louisiana-Lafayette and Mississippi.

“The trend of putting teams in regionals (based on location) is starting to disappear, which I think is good for college baseball,” coach Troy Buckley said. “There was a time when we’d joke with (Stanford officials) about neither of us bidding to host so we’d get out of the West.

“I think this is a real good regional. North Carolina has great history, and Charleston has a quality program. I’m friends with (Florida coach) Kevin O’Sullivan and know what a great program he’s put together.

“By this time of the season, everyone is good. I’m pumped for the guys.”

The team gathered in the Pyramid’s Ukleja Room to watch the ESPNU selection show, and the players were audibly excited when they weren’t placed in the Oregon State regional.

“I don’t think they care where they’re playing; they’re just excited,” Buckley said. “They’ve played great by just dealing with whatever was in front of them, embracing it. It’s no different than any series we’ve played. You don’t want to lose two games.”

“I think it will be fun playing in Florida,” left fielder Johnny Bekakis said. “We’re used to travel. We took a 22-hour bus trip from Wichita to Arizona this season. Can’t be any tougher than that.”

The Dirtbags played a series at Wichita State in early March, and their flight was canceled because of bad weather, so they took a long bus ride to Tucson, Ariz., for its next series.

Freshman shortstop Garrett Hampson, who helped the team post its best defensive numbers in years, said he’s enjoyed every minute of the season.

“It’s been absolutely the best experienced I could have imagined, and it’s a great feeling to be advancing with these guys. This will be fun and exciting.”

North Carolina was one of the last four at-large teams to make the field, according to Dennis Farrell, the Big West commissioner who is chairman of the baseball selection committee. The others were Clemson, Texas A&M and UC Irvine, one of four Big West schools to get a bid.

The Tar Heels have been to the College World Series six times in the past eight years and won a school-record 59 games in 2013 but finished third at the College World Series. They went 2-2 in the ACC Tournament and lost three of their last four ACC series.

Florida has been at or near the top of the rankings all season and is No. 3 in Baseball America’s latest poll. It is 11-6 against other teams hosting regionals and went to the CWS three straight years (2010-12).

College of Charleston has the highest RPI (53) and most wins of any team seeded fourth in a regional. The school is making its sixth postseason appearance in the past 11 seasons.

Four Big West schools made the tourney field for the first time since 2008 and only the fourth time in its history. Besides Long Beach and host Cal Poly (45-10), Fullerton (32-22) is seeded third in the regional hosted by Oklahoma State. UC Irvine (35-22) is seeded third in the regional hosted by Oregon State.

“There is a lot of parity now in college baseball,” Buckley said. “A lot of programs and investing in baseball, and it shows in the level of competition.”

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